While recently in Kampala for our annual reunion of the 1983/85 set of Igbobi College Old Boys Association, ICOBA, a few of us were having dinner and catching up with each other on the very last day of last month, when, as is often the case, the conversation between Pastor Gbolade Shofu and I hit a note one couldn’t ignore.
By the way, are you still serious about the financial goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year? Even if you didn’t get to set any until as recently as June or perhaps, July, are you still putting in the effort in order to achieve those financial goals? In other words, are you still putting something away in savings each and every month? Are you still forcing yourself to not live beyond your means?
Folks, things don’t just happen and as at the last time I checked, wishes are still miles away from transforming themselves into horses. As previously noted in earlier pieces, if you must beg for work so as to generate income, please go for it. Don’t be ashamed to wear one pair of shoes for six days of the week either, if that’s what your budget can accommodate for now.
Back to the Kampala conversation between Pastor Shofu and I. It took a turn towards his birthday celebration of a few months ago and then drifted to church membership. On mentioning the name of the church I attend, he took it from there and said the founder, his wife and himself all attended the University of Jos together more than two decades ago. In fact, he was a course mate of the wife of the founder of my church, who was then a medical student like her then fiancé.
Referring to the now very prominent preacher, Shofu said: “It’s no surprise he’s getting the results he’s getting now.” The reason, he noted, is because this doctor turned preacher “knew what he wanted,” back then at the University of Jos. Shofu disclosed that the then completely unknown medical student was “always going to the mountain to pray.” Continuing over the dinner, he added, just like the Abuja-based pastor knew: “what he wanted, you must know what you want in life.” That really struck a chord for me.
Hence, the reason for asking whether you’re really serious about achieving those financial goals that you set for this year. If you are, then keep making that monthly savings and don’t be tired of searching for a second source of income. Having additional income may take some burden off you so you can stop the process of not relying on living on overdraft or salary advance.
Remember, you must know what you want in life and in our context, it’s as simple as being limited to our financial goals for this year. If you really want to see the results you hope for like the now famous Abuja -based preacher, now is the time to start doing the needful. If it requires buying your clothes from charity shops, give it what it takes.
Tunde Oyedoyin is a London-based personal finance coach and founder of Money Intelligence Coaching Academy, a specialist academy of personal finance. He can be reached as follows: +447846089587 (WhatsApp only); E-mail: tu5oyed@gmail.com
